Senators (Nebraska) object to morning prayer on abortion, evolution

[Omaha Steve]

Published Tuesday
January 24, 2006

Senators object to morning prayer on abortion, evolution


LINCOLN (AP) - A prayer made before the start of Tuesday's legislative session asking forgiveness for abortions and the teaching of evolution drew the ire of at least one senator and disapproving comments from others.



Sen. Ernie Chambers

Morning prayers typically are general in nature and do not touch on hot-button social, political or religious issues. Guidelines given to those who are asked to deliver the prayer, sent by the clerk of the Legislature's office, forbid talking about issues that are on that day's agenda for debate, or expressing any sentiment that could be considered political in nature.

The prayer was delivered by Tom Swartley, a minister at First Christian Church in Elm Creek. Standing at the front of the legislative chamber with his comments broadcast statewide, Swartley asked God for forgiveness for abortion, which he called a "33-year-long bloody nightmare."

Full story: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1638&u_sid=2104542

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. no doubt anymore. We have a civil war in America

The temporary respite from the war between the states of 1760s is long gone

[Orrex]

2. 1760s?

I'm a little sketchy on early US history, but that's a new date to me...

[nickinSTL]

5. I assume the poster meant the 1860s

since the Civil War was in the 1860s.

[Orrex]

9. That's what I was thinking

But in my gradeschool education we didn't even hear about the civil war until about 8th grade, so I thought that I could easily have been missing something...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. duh, 1860s SORRY for my brain spasm. I was watching cspan2

and listening to Rivkin makes your mind do strange things.

[Orrex]

10. No sweat

If I had a nickle for every typo I'd made, I'd have more than a hundred dollers.

[justice1]

13. Sen. Ernie Chambers

There is a man that needs to run for Congress. While I don't always agree with him, he is always stands up for his convictions.

A lot of people think the reason they passed legislation for term-limits is to get rid of him.

He is well known for filibustering, to bad others in this state won't take his lead.

[jwirr]

28. I lived in Nebraska when Ernie was elected.

I am glad to see that he is still fighting.

[TrogL]

15. It's not just America

religious Fundamentalism (Christian and otherwise) is the next World War.

[Orrex]

16. The next, and a bunch of the previous ones, too

"There is no god but war, and fundamentalists reap its profits."

[ticapnews]

19. There are those in the South who will tell you it never ended.

The South is winning the Civil War today. Just look at the Electoral College map.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

20. and just like 1861, they invaded the north and west.

Just as they are doing now.

[nickinSTL]

3. I object to there being prayers in the senate to begin with...

regardless whether it's the US Senate or the Nebraska...

Prayer is essentially theist, and it's mixing church and state, and therefore wholly inappropriate.

[Orrex]

11. I agree completely

When I have raised that objection in other (ie., non-DU) forums, I've been condemned for rejecting an "American tradition that isn't religious but insteads honors our Judeo-Christian roots."

Right. Not religious at all, then...

[DBoon]

14. If we want to celebrate our political roots

they should instead read the entire Magna Carta in Latin.

Especially the part making the English church independent of the crown

[Orrex]

17. Good idea! Heck, I'd be happy if they'd read the Constitution

Too many of our duly elected representative seem wholly ignorant of that little-known document.

[Voltaire99]

22. I object, too.

The US is a secular state in theory only, alas.

In practice, we're a not-so-closeted theocracy. And I object, as anyone who takes the letter of our Constitution seriously must do: we're being denied our birthright.

[onenote]

23. agreed -- and I'd say that even if a minister asked forgivenes for the war

in Iraq during an opening prayer to a legislative body. You can't avoid mixing politics with religion when you mix politics and religion.

onenote

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. Yup.

Somehow we need to convince people that "separation of church and state" does not mean religious people can't hold office or have a voice. I really think it's got to begin with the goddam snake oil salesmen in these fundy churches. They're no better than mobsters. It's time to make them pay taxes for their political proselytizing.

[ima_sinnic]

4. does this half-wit sincerely believe that abortions have been

being performed for only 33 years?
Do the numbskulls really think all abortions will cease if they are "illegal"?
Yo, "dudes": whether humans have been around for only 6,000 years, as your pointy little heads seem to think, or millions of years, women have been purposely aborting fetuses since Day One. Keeping them legal just establishes them as a medical procedure that can be done safely.
My prediction: the dumbasses will at some point make them illegal, then the same old problems of back-alley abortions resulting in sterility or death will mushroom, then they will have to make them legal again, just as they were finally compelled in the 70s. Unfortunately this cycle could take quite a few years.

[gratuitous]

6. As potent an argument as there is for doing away with the prayer

The mischief wrought by this daily office far outweighs any benefit, and the unseemly parading of one's religious convictions before a political body should argue against the Nebraska legislature continuing this custom.

Do away with it.

[fasttense]

8. Yeah and people like Tom Swartley are going to be the cause of

another 33-year-long bloody nightmare. It is already starting. In hospitals and ER in US red states that restrict access to abortions, girls are showing up having used bleach and acid douches, back alley abortionists and rusty hangers in order to get abortions and keep their secrets. Thousands and thousands of girls will die and be mutilated by unsafe abortions all because of people like Tom Swartley. Is he going to thank his god for that?

[bluestateguy]

12. Roe v. Wade is 33 years old now

You'd think these people would take their own advice to us from the election 5 years ago: "You lost. Get over it"

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Haven't lived in Nebraska for 10 years --

Glad to see Ernie is still doing his thing.

[Straight Shooter]

21. I wonder how long the bloody nightmare of child abuse has been.

I don't hear fundies and Repub politicians posturing in outrage over that on a daily basis. But of course, that would require them to actually be pro-life.

[Omaha Steve]

24. Here is the prayer as read

.
Published Tuesday
January 24, 2006

The text of the Rev. Tom Swartley's prayer

Almighty God, we come humbly into your presence this morning, seeking your favor.

I thank you, God, that in the great state of Nebraska we do have a Legislature that does not deny you God, but who rather seeks your favor and guidance. I do ask, Lord, that you would guide these leaders of our people. I ask that you would give each of them a renewed sense of conscience, of conviction and courage to do what is right.

I do also come, Lord, this morning with a heavy heart. I ask your forgiveness on our people, a people who have killed 47 million of my fellow Americans since the year I was born. We have aborted 47 million babies made in your image. God, forgive us. Forgive us for our complacency. We go to work and school, and come home and watch television, while genocide, infanticide and homicide is being committed on our own children. Open our eyes, Lord. Open our eyes to your morality that when you said "thou shalt not murder," you meant even the most innocent and unwanted among us.

Open our eyes to the other aspects of this 33-year-long bloody nightmare. Open our eyes to see that we've killed 47 million young American taxpayers, and indeed Social Security is in crisis. Open our eyes to see that 47 million of our countrymen are gone - doctors, lawyers, inventors, authors, musicians and artists. Forgive us, oh God, and open our eyes and change our path. Comfort the mothers and fathers who have great wonder and regret. Heal us, oh God.

Forgive us also, Lord, for the teaching of the religion of evolution to our young citizens, a religion that tells us that we are only here by chance; that we are here for no reason and human life means nothing more than any other life; that we will never face a Judgment Day. We've put our children into the same category as other mammals, and we wonder why sometimes they act like animals. Forgive us for sowing the seeds of anarchy in the hearts of children

Open our eyes, God. We can see, when we look at our wristwatches, intelligent design, but when we gaze into the incredible complexity of biology and nature, we see chance. Open our eyes; change our path.

Lord God, I pray that in these halls this and every day our leaders would make the right choices; they would make decisions based upon right and wrong, not on politics. I pray that you and your will would indeed be done through these leaders. Bless them, oh God; strengthen them; guide them. I pray that your will indeed would be done on earth as it is in heaven, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1638&u_sid=2104606

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. This. Man. Is. A. Mental. Case. -nt

[Raster]

26. I cannot believe this crap. I am a devotee of a religion that is a

combination of Santeria and Ju-Ju. I demand equal time in front of the Legislature. The God I worship is Mogambo. He requires blood sacrifice. I demand that I be allowed to slit the throat of a black goat in the House to open a daily session. If a christian evangelical can condemn abortion, which is the law of the land, and advocate "intelligent design," which is neither, that I must be allowed equal access.

For that matter, I'm sure the FSM contingent would also like their opportunity to have a pirate open the Legislature.

[Megahurtz]

27. What a Sick Fuck!

"Open our eyes to see that we've killed 47 million young American taxpayers"

There go those greedy Repuke Fundies again
always thinking about $$$$$$MONEY$$$$$$.

No Mr. Swartley, the "bloody nightmare" here is you casting judgement upon others
and you mixing Religion and Politics.:sarcasm:

[MaineYooper]

29. I grow so tired of the litany of things that fundies blame on evolution...

It's a scientific description and model of a developmental process, not a philosophy.

[flamingyouth]

30. kick

[Omaha Steve]

31. Capitol (Nebr) prayer raises a ruckus (fallout)

.
BY LESLIE REED


WORLD-HERALD BUREAU


LINCOLN - Pastor Tom Swartley of Elm Creek says he was surprised by Nebraska lawmakers' strong reaction to his Tuesday morning prayer that discussed abortion and evolution.

"I'm surprised it's such a big deal; the Bible says don't do this stuff," the 32-year-old pastor said afterward. "I used strong language and I feel real strong about it - but I didn't ask God to punish anyone. I asked him to forgive us, to guide us and change our path."

What is usually a morning formality became a furor when Swartley, who has served at First Christian Church in Elm Creek for about a year, delivered his prayer.

Legislative guidelines call for pastors to offer nondenominational prayers and to refrain from discussing issues pending before the Legislature and other political topics.

Full story: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1638&u_sid=2104825

[tanyev]

32. "but I didn't ask God to punish anyone"

Sounds like an implied threat.

[acmavm]

39. I wonder if he thinks God will do what he says?

This guy is your typical pompous fundie pain-in-the wazoo.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

33. Damn, I have read the bible (actually many versions) from cover to cover

I have yet to see where it bans stem cells, abortions, gays, or evolution.

To the contrary, didn't Adam cough up a rib in order to let that god person clone Eve? As written elsewhere, isn't that the first, best argument in favor of cloning and stem cell research?

[stepnw1f]

35. Same Here

I can't quote much from it, since it's been years since I read the whole thing, but there is absolutely nothing to back this hate-filled fanatics perspective or interpretation of the Bible. He should be ashamed to call himself a Pastor. More like a Pastor of hatred and ignorance.

[Child_Of_Isis]

34. but I didn't ask God to punish anyone

:rofl: This is so stupid. God awaits in the shadows ready to smite on command.

[bluestateguy]

36. Imagine this:

A pastor gives a prayer in the Capitol asking for God's forgiveness that America allows so many people to go hungry, homeless or without health care. Or he asks God's forgiveness for the wickedness of the Iraq War.

[Ezlivin]

37. Why doesn't he quote Isaiah 36:12 in his prayer?

But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

There are plenty of edifying bible verses that I'm sure that the Nebraska lawmakers haven't ever heard.

Why not take them on a bible adventure when you pray?

[Strong Atheist]

38. They could take care of that problem by getting rid of

prayer completely ...:evilgrin:

[Omaha Steve]

40. vote on should Nebr. end the morning prayer online

.
Bottom of the page.

http://www.omaha.com/

[Castaway]

42. Bout time someone says that. I agree all the way